Titans Run Away With Third-Straight Victory

FULLERTON, CA -
Cal State Fullerton shot 44 percent from the floor and nearly equaled a school record with 12 three-pointers made on Sunday afternoon as the Titans got a balanced scoring effort to run away with their third consecutive victory, 76-45, over visiting San Jose State at Titan Gym.

Following a season-opening loss, Fullerton improved to 3-1 overall on the season, posting a season-high in points scored and margin of victory. The injury-plagued Spartans fell to 0-4 overall on the season with the loss.

Junior Megan Richardson led the Titans in scoring for the fourth time this season, finishing with 17 points - all in the first half - on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Senior Lyndsey Grove had 11 points, four rebounds, and five assists to join her in double figures while freshman Yvont'e Neal added 10 points off the bench. Of the 15 players who entered the game, 12 scored at least two points.

Myesha Broaden had 15 points to lead San Jose State while Brittany Johnson was also in double figures with 11.

Fullerton led wire-to-wire, starting the game on a 12-0 run while holding the Spartans scoreless for the first four-plus minutes until Broaden scored to make it 12-2. After San Jose State closed to within six points two minutes later, the Titans put things out of reach as back-to-back three-pointers by Lauren Chow and Ashley Richie jumpstarted a 22-9 run by Fullerton that built its lead back to 19 points and the Titans never looked back.

Cal State Fullerton's lead grew to as many as 20 points in the opening half and the Titans eventually led by as many as 34 points with just over six minutes to play in regulation. Fullerton's defense forced 21 turnovers on the afternoon, turning those into 27 points overall, and the Titans outrebounded the Spartans, 43-31, for the game, led by a game- and career-high nine boards from sophomore Lauren Bushong.

The school record for three-pointers made was well within reach as Chow's second three of the game with 7:14 remaining put Fullerton just two shy of the mark of 14 set at Iowa State on Nov. 15, 2006. However, the Titans could not find the tying shots as they missed their final two attempts from beyond the arc to close out the game.

Fullerton returns to the road for its next five games, including a busy Thanksgiving week. The Titans open against San Diego on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m., before heading to Northern California to participate in the Colliers International Tournament hosted by California on Nov. 27-28. Fullerton opens against the host Golden Bears on Saturday at noon before taking on either Tulane or Portland State on Sunday, also at 12 p.m.